Moments in Time
by Lacrimosa Tomboy
Summary: The quiet-ish  moments between the excitement as Ranma and Akane's relationship develops. Set after the end of the manga. First published fanfic...please be gentle!
1. Chapter 1: The Roof

**Disclaimer: **Sadly Ranma and Co. do not belong to me... :(

* * *

><p><strong>The Roof<strong>

Akane Tendo sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around the knees she'd drawn up to her chest. "You might as well come over here and sit down instead of lurking over there Ranma," she called, turning to watch as her fiancé's sheepish face came into view, crowned by a mop of unruly black hair partially tamed by his pigtail.

"How'd you know I was there?" Ranma Saotome cocked his head at the girl, settling himself beside her on the ridged roof tiles.

Akane just shrugged as she watched him from the corner of her eye, unwilling to admit to him just how aware of his presence she was every hour of every day. She sighed heavily, trying to regain the peace she'd found before the close proximity of the annoyingly handsome young man had thrown her for a loop again. Her eyes drifted closed as she felt the heat radiating off Ranma like a blanket.

"Today was pretty bad, wasn't it," Ranma asked, and Akane was pulled back to reality with a jolt as her eyes snapped open to glare at him.

"Baka. That's got to be the understatement of the century." She rolled her eyes as Ranma bit his lip and twiddled his thumbs, knowing that he was trying to come up with the words to express what he was feeling – even though he would probably end up failing miserably...again. Why, oh why did she have to fall for a guy who was such a supreme master at shoving his foot so far into his mouth, it was a wonder he didn't choke on his knee.

"I-It's just...it seems like it hasn't been this bad since the w-w-wed...s-since right after we got back from China," Ranma stuttered, blushing horribly.

Akane sighed, frustrated at the fact that he still wouldn't talk to her about the disastrous wedding attempt, and he avoided all her efforts to explain why she had really agreed to go along with their dads' insane plan.

"Yeah, well, when you think about it, we should have expected it. After all, their probation ended last week and they finally finished paying Nabiki back for the damages. They had a lot of pent-up destruction and obnoxiousness to spread around."

Ranma snorted, a rueful half-smile twitching on his lips. "Still...it's been a long time since I came that close to hitting a girl – never mind all three of 'em. Prob'ly would've caused more problems for us in the end if I had..." he groaned.

"Do you ever wonder if it's all worth it Ranma?" Akane suddenly asked after several long minutes of silence.

"Huh? If what's all worth it?"

"You. Me. The engagement...engagements, really. Like, maybe it would be better if we just went our separate ways and stopped all the insanity. It's not like our parents could really force us, and I made sure Nabs subtracted the cost of the yattai your dad stole from Ukyo's bill, so technically you could be free of your debt to her if you want. Mind you, you're on your own when it comes to Shampoo and Kodachi, I've got no idea what to do about them."

"Wh-what...?"

"I just mean...you should be happy Ranma, and clearly none of this makes you happy, so why not let me help you out a bit? It's the least I can do after all the times you've saved me." Akane was surprised that she'd managed to get all that out. Every time she'd tried over the last three months, something had interrupted her, be it parents or fiancées.

Ranma's mouth opened and closed soundlessly a few times before the blank shock on his face was overwritten by the kind of burning anger that Akane would have recognized had anyone been brave enough to shove a mirror in her face just before she went after Ranma with her mallet.

"Leaving me?" he demanded, his voice cracking with intensity. "That's your answer to all this? 'Oh, it's so hard,'" he cried, affecting an obnoxiously high pitched falsetto. "'I might as well give up' Well it ain't gonna work," he raged, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to look at him. "So just _fuck_ that." He ignored Akane's gasp at his language. "You ain't getting away that easily. You're my fiancée Akane, I beat every guy who's ever challenged me for you, and there ain't no way I'm gonna lose now, not even to you."

"That's what I'm talking about Ranma," she growled, trying to jerk her shoulders from his iron grip. "I'm just the prize to you, bait for your never-ending battle for supremacy, and I'm tired of it. I don't want to be that person anymore," she whispered, biting her lip.

A muscle jumped wildly in Ranma's jaw as he stared down at her with a lost expression in his eyes. "Then what do you want?" he demanded quietly, his fingers loosening on her shoulders.

"I don't know anymore, but I do know that things can't stay the same." She turned to stare out over the rooftops, pulling her knees closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around them before resting her chin on her knees as she watched the lights beginning to twinkle in the growing dimness.

"Why can't they 'Kane? It's not like everything else doesn't change every day. Why can't we just stay the same?" Ranma pleaded plaintively.

"_I'm_ different though Ranma. China and the wedding disasters..." She waited for his inevitable twitch before continuing. "They changed me enough that my concept of what I want from life has gotten a bit clearer, but it kind of seems like you don't really what me to explore any of that. So it makes me wonder what the hell we're doing here."

The two sat in silence for a while, Akane wishing she could find the anger to hammer Ranma with her mallet so this uncomfortable conversation could be over, although she knew it would be pointless. They really had to deal with this eventually.

"Th-that ain't true you know." Ranma's sudden statement startled Akane out of her reverie. "I...I _do_ want you to be happy...I just...I wish...I wish it c-could be with me," he whispered, as if he was afraid of being overheard, even by the girl sitting next to him.

Akane swung around to look at him so fast she almost have herself whiplash. "What? You...you wish...what?" She understood the basic meaning of the words, but having them arranged in that order and coming out of Ranma's mouth, had her doubting her ability to comprehend his meaning.

Ranma gulped audibly and Akane found her gaze drawn to his fists, clenched so hard his knuckles were white. Suddenly – so suddenly she nearly jumped out of her skin at the contact – Ranma's hand uncurled and grabbed for hers, grasping it tightly.

"We...we're too young to get married 'Kane, but...well, when it does happen...I-I w-wouldn't mind much if it was y-you who was st-standing b-beside me in front of our friends and f-family..." he trailed off and bit his lip, so studiously not looking at her that he might as well have been staring at her.

Akane let out a shuddering sigh as she absorbed Ranma's stuttered words and his clear sincerity, despite the tentative way he couched his statement. She had come up to the roof earlier in order to think of a way to gracefully release Ranma from an engagement he didn't seem to want much without losing his friendship. A friendship she had come to value incredibly over the last year and a half since Ranma had entered her life. Then he had to come join her and turn her entire worldview on its head – not that she should be surprised, he seemed to do that on a regular basis.

"Um...so h-how 'bout you?" Ranma prodded nervously. "W-what are you thinking?"

Akane felt a smile growing slowly on her lips as she shifted to rest her head on Ranma's shoulder, giggling softly when he jumped at the contact. "I think that I agree with you. We are too young to get married now. There's something you should probably know though Ranma. The Naniichuan water wasn't the real reason I agreed to the wedding." She watched out of the corner of her eye as Ranma's confused expression was slowly transformed by a gleeful smirk.

They sat together on the roof until Akane began to shiver slightly in the cold night air.

"C'mon Tomboy, let's go back inside. Tomorrow's another busy day, can't have you getting sick." Ranma crowed, squeezing her hand.

"Baka," she growled playfully, pulling her had away to raise it up to Ranma's face. Rather than slapping him – as he clearly expected – she grasped his chin and angled his face down so she could press her chilled lips to his warm cheek. She leapt to her feet, heading for the edge of the roof, looking back to find Ranma frozen where she'd left him, his hand pressed to his cheek. "Aren't you coming?"

He shook himself, blinking a few times before vaulting to his feet and gripping her under his arm to hop off the roof. Akane bit off a shriek as they landed lightly on the grass near the koi pond.

"Jerk!" she screeched, punching his arm as he released her. "Warn me next time." She began stomping back to the house, but looked over her shoulder to throw him a coy wink before slamming open the shoji doors to reveal their fathers and Nabiki. They tumbled to her feet after losing the support of the door they had been attempting to eavesdrop through. "Honestly," she huffed, storming past them toward the stairs. "Don't you people have anything better to do?"

"Hey, get back here," Ranma called after her. "We ain't finished you macho tomboy!"

"Oh, I think we are, you overgrown muscle," Akane shrieked back, stomping up the stairs hard enough that the pictures rattled on the wall.

The insults continued up the stairs until the sound of a door slamming cut off the argument.

Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome drooped visibly, commiserating over the fact that the schools may never be joined as they returned to their game of Go under the watchful eye of Nodoka Saotome, who was fiddling with the hilt of her katana and frowning thoughtfully at the irregular thumps coming from upstairs. Nabiki returned to her television program, shaking her head ruefully over another lost money-making opportunity. In the kitchen, Kasumi Tendo returned to the medical text she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu the day before, heartened by the amount of time her youngest sister and future brother-in-law had spent quietly together on the roof. Not to mention her relief at how their almost light hearted argument had been resolved without fists or mallets. She giggled at a particularly thud coming from her sister's room and wondered what Auntie Saotome was making of the noises. Hopefully, it was merely reinforcing her image of Ranma as a man amongst men.

Up in Akane's room, behind the closed door, the two teens were on Akane's bed, sniggering and egging the other on as they threw a rubber ball against the wall. Their smiles were larger than warranted by the simple game, and they sat close enough together that their thighs and shoulders were pressed together, impeding the game more often than not, as they avoided moving unless they had to hunt down a bad throw.

Later, as they grew bored of the game, they talked – not about anything as serious as their relationship or their future, but general topics – the same kind of things they usually talked about when they weren't arguing. They listened as, one by one, the rest of the family retired for the night – their fathers sobbing loudly in the hall until Nodoka shushed them and herded them off to bed.

The hours had slipped back into single digits when Ranma finally sighed. "I guess I better hit the sack soon. We got school tomorrow...not that I care, but I don't want you to get in trouble 'cause I kept you up." He fiddled nervously with the hand resting on his knee, blushing when he realized that it was Akane's hand.

Akane smiled and pressed another kiss to his cheek, causing Ranma to leap to his feet and head for the door. He pulled open the door too fast and bounced the edge off his forehead. "Ow!" he cried, stumbling backward as the door swung shut again.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Akane hurried to his side, to gently rub the rising bump on his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he gritted, enjoying the feel of her cool fingers on his heated skin.

"Jeez, and you call me a klutz Ranma."

"Well you are," he grumbled. Akane's eyes tightened and her teeth clenched, causing Ranma to backpedal quickly. "I mean...aw, 'Kane, you know I ain't any good at stuff like this." His relief was palpable as Akane smiled weakly at him. "Maybe...wanna grab some ice cream or something after school tomorrow?" He spoke so quickly, the words seemed to be tripping over themselves as he twiddled his thumbs awkwardly.

"That sounds nice Ranma...So, then, I guess I'll see you in the morning Baka."

"Night Tomboy," Ranma smiled, running a tentative finger down her cheek before kissing her forehead gently and slipping down the hall to his room.

Akane closed the door and dance across the room before collapsing on her bed to hug her pillow to her chest. Maybe it hadn't been such a bad day after all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Whoops! Almost forgot to disclaim...that'll teach me to post when I'm half asleep! So here it is, my first posted story...hopefully you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think - after all, reviews could very well be the stuff of immortality...you never know until you try!

Thanks for reading! **  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2: The Park

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...I always return them to Rumiko Takahashi only slightly dented...

* * *

><p><strong>The Park<strong>

Akane sat under a tree in the park near Furinkan High School, the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up to cover her normally inky blue hair. She had left the Tendo compound earlier when Ranma's other fiancées had descended, desperate for a chance to escape the insanity for a brief time.

She smiled as she watched a group of middle-schoolers play soccer on the other side of the park. She vaguely remembered when life was that carefree, though she was willing to admit that it hadn't seemed that easy at the time. She sighed, wishing that she could have a normal life like her friends did, just for one day, when she could go shopping or to the arcade or even on a date without worrying about strange martial arts challenges and warring fiancées.

Akane stifled a shriek as Ranma dropped out of the tree above her. "Phew. I thought I'd never lose them," he panted, dropping to sit beside her.

Akane placed her hand over her heart, reassuring herself that it was still in her chest. "What are you doing here Baka?" she demanded.

"Feh." He flopped over to lie on his back with his head resting in her lap. "It's less fun when you ain't around. Shampoo, Kodachi, and Ukyo just get way too clingy without you to keep them in line, so running is usually the best way to handle them to make sure I don't gotta, y'know, _handle_ 'em." He grinned up at her boyishly.

Akane snorted. "You are such a baka." She let her fingers stroke through his unruly hair, combing gently through the wind tangled strands.

"Tomboy," he retorted gently, closing his eyes and leaning into her caress. "You okay?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Mmm. Just got a lot of things on my mind," she replied, returning her gaze to the soccer game across the field.

"Are you worried about that Martial Arts Hairdressing guy that kidnapped you on Monday? 'Cause he sure as hell ain't coming back again, and even if he did, I wouldn't let him near you. 'Sides, the blonde's almost washed out now, so your hair'll be back to normal in no time." Ranma smiled up at her in what he clearly thought was a reassuring fashion.

Akane sighed. "D'you ever wish we could be normal Ranma?"

"Whaddya mean?" he demanded, his brow furrowing in a rather adorable way. "We _are_ normal."

"No, I mean having a day where we don't have to worry about surprise weddings or extra fiancées or challengers from stupid Martial Arts Hairdressers. Just a day where we could spend time together and go the movies and school and parties and get part-time jobs – you know, normal things."

"Naw, sounds pretty boring."

"But don't you just want to be bored sometimes?" Akane demanded, feeling the strain of the last two years making itself known.

"Nope. Maybe I'd wish for a bit more quiet time to spend with you, but let's face it, we ain't cut out for the quiet life. Way I figure it, everyone's got a purpose in life and ours is to attract – and usually defeat – a whole crap load of chaos so our friends, like Yuka and Sayuri and Hiroshi and Daisuke, can live those quiet, normal, boring lives that everyone seems to want."

Akane blinked down at the young man. "That's pretty deep Ranma. You've really thought about this, haven't you." She was surprised when Ranma reached up and grabbed her hand.

"You think I don't wish I could give you a quiet normal life? I wish things with me were easier, but they ain't, and I can't seem to let you go, so it looks like you may be stuck with me," he said ruefully.

Akane met the regret in his eyes with determination in her own. "Ranma, if staying by your side means putting up with insanity and chaos on a daily basis...well, then I guess that's just the price I'll have to pay. You're not getting rid of this uncute tomboy that easily."

"And thank the gods for that," Ranma breathed, closing his eyes and squeezing her hand tightly.

They sat for a while in silence, Akane pretending she was watching the soccer game while really watching Ranma watch her through slitted eyes. She snorted as Ranma wrinkled his nose, trying to scratch an itch without moving. Finally, he gave in and turned, rubbing his cheek and the side of his nose against her thigh.

"You're wearing pants," he commented suddenly, his blue eyes looking up at her questioningly.

Akane looked down at her pink plaid capris then back into his eyes. "Random much? Yeah, I am. What's wrong with that?"

"It's just...I can't remember the last time you wore pants that weren't part of your _gi_. You know, for a tomboy, you dress awfully girly."

She bounced her knuckles playfully off his rock hard abs. "Jerk," she growled as he smirked up at her. "If you must know, I have a whole bunch of bruises on my legs that would be kind of obvious in most of my skirts, and you're the one that wanted to keep my training quiet."

Ranma's smirk shifted into a frown, and he sat up, spinning to face her in one smooth motion. Akane sighed briefly at the loss of contact before he gripped her chin with his fingers. "Did Pops hurt you? I thought we agreed that you would tell me when you got hurt."

Although Ranma still vehemently refused to train Akane, citing his inability to hit her, he had reluctantly agreed that she did need further training, as he could not always be at her side. It had taken a full week's cajoling before Ranma agreed to let Genma take on the physical side of Akane's training under his own watchfully paranoid supervision. It had been three weeks now, and Ranma still freaked out whenever the bruises started rising on Akane's pale skin.

"It's just bruises Ranma, nothing life threatening. Don't be such a worrywart. I'm a martial artist too, you know. I wouldn't even be worried about them, except that they're a bit too localized to be explained away by my natural clumsiness."

"Yeah, well, I talked to the Doc the other day and he whipped up a salve for me that's great for healing bruises. So if you don't tell me when you get bruised, how'm I gonna know when to rub the salve on?" he asked slyly, his blue eyes darkening suggestively.

"Oh, so you're going to be the one applying the salve to my bruises. Pervert," Akane teased.

Although it had been nearly a month since they'd basically admitted their feelings for each other, the big first real kiss was still hanging over their heads – and not for want of trying either. Unfortunately, every time they got close, they were interrupted – mostly by the usual suspects, although there was one time with that old lady and her ladle. Due to all the intrusions, they'd had to settle for flirting – a lot – which actually seemed to be getting them into more trouble than the almost kisses.

Suddenly, Akane realized they were alone in the park together, with no one they knew in the immediate vicinity. She licked her suddenly dry lips, noticing the way Ranma's eyes followed her tongue and darkened even more.

"What? You want my Pops to do it for you instead?" he questioned hoarsely, swaying closer to her.

"Eew! Ranma, that's gross," Akane squealed, wrinkling her nose and sighing at the loss of the mood that had clearly been destroyed by Ranma's comment. Then she met his gaze again and the heat of it sucked her in until she forgot everything but him.

She leaned forward, meeting him halfway and the world disappeared. _Kissing. Lips. Ranma...I'm kissing Ranma! Feels soooo gooooooood..._ Akane thought. The tiny part of her mind not completely absorbed with Ranma was impressed that she could still form words.

It was not a kiss filled with the kind of desperation one would expect, considering the amount of pent-up emotion in the two hormonal teenagers, instead, it was tender and gentle and loving. When they finally broke apart, Akane sighed softly and let her eyes flutter open to take in Ranma's bemused expression.

"Wow," he croaked, swallowing hard. "That was totally worth the wait." He grinned at her crookedly and she laughed, leaning in to repeat the experience.

Millimetres away from his lips, she froze as the distinctive sound of a bicycle bell rang through the park.

"Oh hell. You have got to be kidding me," Ranma groaned.

"Arien!" called a high pitched voice. "Come out and take Shampoo to date!"

Ranma groaned again, resting his forehead against Akane's. "I really just wanna kiss you right now..."

"But we can't risk her finding us," Akane finished, the regret in her voice echoing his. She gritted her teeth against her anger at the constant interruptions to their painfully slowly developing relationship.

"C'mon, we gotta get outta here before she finds us," Ranma sighed, hopping to his feet and holding out his hand to her.

"Huh? Why do you want me to come too? She mostly just ignores me or taunts me a bit, then leaves to chase after you," Akane pointed out, not really wanting to get drawn into another pointless chase when she still had to face Uncle Saotome for more training before dinner.

"Uh..." Ranma scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well...she's been a bit...weird lately and some of the stuff she's been saying has me a bit on edge, so I ain't leaving you alone or unprotected around her, particularly when I ain't quite satisfied with where you are in your training."

He sighed in exasperation when Akane frowned up at him, reaching down to grasp her hand and pull her up into his arms. She gasped as she was cradled against his hard chest and Ranma took to the trees, moving deeper into the park. He grinned down at her before turning his attention back to their route to ensure that they didn't attract the Amazon's attention.

They heard the rustling of leaves on the path below them and Ranma froze, clapping his hand gently over Akane's mouth as Shampoo rode by beneath them.

"Shampoo know she saw Arien heading for this park, so she get rid of Crazy Girl and Spatula Girl to come meet him like he want, but where he disappear to?" she muttered to herself as she pedalled slowly by. Finally, after what felt like a very long time, she disappeared into the distance.

Ranma finally sighed in relief and took his hand off Akane's lips, looking down at her in surprise when she socked him hard on the shoulder, almost overbalancing them on their precarious perch. "What? I just had to make sure she wasn't gonna hear us and you were breathing too loud."

"Jerk. There are better ways to keep me from talking," she growled, surprising herself with a suggestive rise of her eyebrows.

"I hate to break it to you 'Kane, but you weren't exactly quiet when I kissed you. You were making these sexy moans at the back of your throat, and Shampoo's got surprisingly good hearing. I was not gonna risk her hearing _that_!"

Akane struggled in his arms, trying to get loose. "Dummy, put me down already. If you don't want to kiss me again, then fine, but stop making fun of me."

"Quit jumping to conclusions Tomboy. I never said nothing about not wanting to kiss you, I just said that Shampoo'd hear you." He looked down at her with a heat that suddenly made her glad he was still holding her, otherwise she'd have been a puddle of goo on the ground far below with a bruised tailbone.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, biting her lip.

Ranma hopped lightly to the ground, setting her feet on the ground before pressing her back against the tree they'd been hiding in. "I've got an idea about how you can make it up to me," he grinned before lowering his lips to hers.

This second kiss was much more heated than the first, and Akane wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself tightly to his training hardened body. After a very long time, they separated, gasping and dishevelled.

"I guess we have to get home," Akane sighed.

"Yeah, you've got training to do, and Pops'll be pissed if you're late." Suddenly he grinned rakishly down at her, and her breath caught in her throat. "Race you home," he cried, suddenly taking off.

"Hey, no fair! You got a head start," Akane shrieked, charging after him.

Ranma's smile threatened to split his face in half as Akane chased after him, and their laughter joined them for the race for home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Wow! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter - such a great response! Another chapter has been uploaded, and I am working on the next two...hopefully I get them done soon!

If you review, there's a good chance that I will write faster...it's worth a try, right?

Thanks for reading (and reviewing)!


	3. Chapter 3: The School

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own Ranma and Co...Whatever damage was sustained during the writing of this piece is purely surface, and can be fixed with a good washing...

* * *

><p><strong>The School<strong>

Ranma Saotome raced down the stairs and burst out the front doors of Furinkan High School, heading for the side yard. He scanned the groups of students enjoying their lunches in the bright pre-summer sun. He grinned in relief as Akane Tendo waggled her fingers at him from her spot against the boundary wall, and his relief grew exponentially when he saw a second, larger bento sitting beside her open one. He dropped to her side and snatched up his lunch, digging in quickly. He flashed her a quick smile as he practically inhaled his food.

Akane rolled her eyes and continued eating at a normal pace. "What did the principal want?" she asked when Ranma's bento was almost empty.

"Feh, it was just another stupid plot to try and buzz my hair. I beat him down again, no surprise there. 'Sides there was no way in hell I was gonna let him make me miss lunch." Ranma grinned smugly down at his fiancée through a mouthful of food.

"You are ridiculous Baka. Can't you go one day without fighting?" Akane asked, poking his well developed bicep as he finished his lunch and set down his bento.

He leaned back against the sun-warmed bricks of the wall and twined his fingers with Akane's small slim ones where his action would be hidden by her uniform skirt. "What would be the fun in that?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"Right, of course. Silly me, whatever was I thinking?" She finished her lunch one handed and put her bento off to the side. They sat side by side, chatting idly, and Ranma glared down the few boys who dared to try approaching either him or Akane. "Hey, you up for a sparring match tonight?" Akane asked suddenly.

"Really? You wanna spar with me after training with Pops for two hours? Are you sure Tomboy?" he asked, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall, hiding his concern behind nonchalance.

"Well, I've got to build my stamina somehow, you know. Besides, I'm still so thrilled that you're taking me seriously in the dojo that I want to enjoy this as much as possible while it lasts."

"'Kane, I can think of much better ways to build your stamina that have nothing to do with fighting." Ranma's blue eyes sparkled as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Pervert," she growled, blushing cutely as she yanked her hand from his and punched his arm. "I told you, not until we're married." Her voice lowered to a whisper and her eyes darted back and forth, worried that someone might be close enough to hear their conversation.

Ranma snorted and was about to reclaim her hand when he heard a cheerful voice carol out: "Ranchan!" He groaned as Akane inched quickly away and picked up her juice can, cradling it in both hands, studiously ignoring the faint blush still staining her cheeks.

He rearranged his features into a sort of welcoming smile that was significantly less than heartfelt. "Hey Ucchan, what's up?"

"I thought you'd probably still be hungry, so I brought you some okonomiyaki. It's your favourite – pork special with extra tempura." Ukyo plopped down to sit on her shins beside him, her smile sunny and just a bit seductive. "Hey Akane, how's it going?"

"Oh, fine Ukyo, just enjoying the sunshine. How about you?" Ranma was impressed with how well Akane played friendly with her rival. Anyone who didn't know her as well as he did would think that she was happy to see the perky chef.

He bit his lip and his eyes darted between the steaming okonomiyaki and the tightness around Akane's eyes that belied the easy smile on her face. His stomach rumbled and he watched as Ukyo's grin widened and Akane's smile drooped. He opened his mouth to refuse Ukyo's gift, just to bring back the sparkle in Akane's eyes, but instead heard himself thanking Ukyo and grabbing greedily for the pizza. _Dammit, this lack of control over my stomach is gonna get me into serious trouble one of these days_, he thought as he licked his fingers.

Ukyo giggled and bumped her shoulder against his. "Oh Ranchan, I love cooking for you, you enjoy it so much."

Ranma winced as Akane's expression turned stormy for the short moment that Ukyo looked away at a shout from their left. She had tried to cook dinner again last night, and the results had been less than edible. He'd spent a good chunk of the evening hugging the toilet as Akane tearfully tended to him, apologizing over and over, cursing her inability to do anything considered a womanly art. He opened his mouth to try and reassure Akane, although with Ukyo around, he wasn't completely positive as to which words would actually escape his lips, but Akane quickly got to her feet.

"Sensei asked for my help with something before class starts again. See you two back in homeroom." She smiled weakly and walked quickly away.

Ranma growled quietly and was moving to gather his feet under him when Ukyo latched onto his arm and snuggled up close.

"Alone at last," she sighed. "I hardly ever get to be with you alone anymore Ranchan. You're always at the Tendo's or those other hussies are hanging around you."

"Hey, Akane ain't no hussy," he muttered, frowning down at the fiancée he had once considered his best friend.

"Sure Ranchan, whatever you say," Ukyo giggled.

Ranma gritted his teeth and was about to argue with her when the bell rang. "C'mon Ucchan, we gotta get to class." He jumped to his feet, dragging her up with him.

'"Since when have you cared about class Ranchan?" she demanded, hurrying to keep up with his longer stride without letting go of his arm.

"Well, y'know...a-another year and we're gonna be graduating, an' I don't wanna get left behind," Ranma babbled, dragging Ukyo up the stairs with him.

Akane was already at her desk when they reached their classroom. He watched the muscles in her jaw clench, the way she refused to meet his eyes, and his heart sank. Things had been going so well lately and now she was mad at him again. If only he could figure out a way to get rid of all the excess fiancées he'd managed to acquire over the years.

Throughout the rest of the day, he tried to catch Akane's attention, with notes and with forceful glances, but she stubbornly kept her gaze facing front and ignored him. The second class was over she packed up her books and notes and was out the door with speed that surprised him. Her training was really paying off; she was nearing Chestnut Fist speed there. He gathered up his own stuff and chased after her, anxious to catch up to her before she left school grounds.

"Hey Tomboy, wait up," he called, his eyes glued to Akane's tensely retreating back. She spun to face him just as Ukyo caught up to him and latched onto his arm again.

"Ranchan, why don't you come by Ucchan's and I'll whip you up something extra special before the dinner rush," she purred, rubbing her cheek along his bicep.

Ranma froze, looking at Akane with desperate eyes. Ukyo was acting way too much like Shampoo and all the purring and rubbing was making his skin crawl.

"See you at home Saotome," Akane growled, spinning on her heel and running out the gates. Ranma swore as his stomach clenched at the tears he'd glimpsed gathering in Akane's chocolate brown eyes.

"Look Ucchan, I really gotta get home, maybe some other time? I, uh...promised I'd help Kasumi with some stuff, you know, moving heavy things and crap like that. Rain check?" Ranma lied, hoping Ukyo couldn't tell, considering the fact that his poker face had never been very effective, it was a pretty slim hope.

Ukyo pouted up at him. "You never come to the restaurant anymore Ranchan. It's almost like you're avoiding me."

Ranma rounded on the brown haired girl, using a move to escape her that he would normally avoid as it tended to hurt the person on the other end of the hold. As Ukyo gasped in pain and pouted up at him even more, he folded his arms and took a step backward to maintain the distance between them as she took a step toward him.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should have thought of that before you attacked Akane and me at the we-wed...when we got back from China. Didja think I was just gonna forgive you for all the damage you caused? You could've really hurt someone – I mean, my _mom_ was there, Kasumi was there, and you were aiming those bombs at Akane! That's just not cool Ukyo. I ain't ready to forgive you yet, so you should probably just leave me alone for a bit until I come looking for you or you're not gonna be happy with my answer, okay?" Ranma frowned down at the stunned looking girl in front of him, hiding his surprise over the fact that he'd actually managed to get all that out in one go. He'd been trying to say that for months, ever since the wrecked wedding. For once, he'd gotten this right, and it would have been perfect if Akane had been here to see it – she'd have been thrilled.

"Ranchan, you can't mean that..." Ukyo's lip quivered and Ranma hardened his heart against the inevitable tears.

"You know what Ukyo," Ranma said, emphasizing the lack of her usual nickname. "I gotta split. See you around." Ranma turned his back on Ukyo as the tears began to fall and he started to run, taking to the fence as soon as he hit the canal.

Halfway home, after checking to make sure he wasn't being followed, he leapt off the fence and allowed himself to react to the stress of finally releasing his anger at Ukyo, hyperventilating as he braced his hands against his knees. "Oh my God, I can't believe I just did that," he gasped. Oh, he was going to be in a world of hurt when Ukyo recovered. She had a tendency to get violent when she was embarrassed, confused, or angry, and he was betting she was feeling all three of those emotions right about now. "Deal with Ukyo later," he muttered to himself. "You gotta make things right with Akane now."

He jumped back onto the fence and continued home at a slightly slower pace. When he reached the dojo compound, he found Kasumi sweeping the front walkway. She sighed and looked at him with reproach in her eyes.

Ranma sagged. "Is she really mad?" he asked softly.

"She's out in the dojo with Uncle Saotome. You may want to give her some space." Kasumi shook her head. "Ranma, when are going to start thinking before you act?"

"It wasn't all me this time Kasumi, I swear; and I have been getting better, we've been doing great lately...except for today, I guess. I did something good though, after she left I mean, and it'll make her happy if she'll just give me a chance to explain," he defended, hating the fact that he had disappointed Kasumi again.

"Does she ever?" Kasumi asked wryly, shaking her head over her youngest sister's legendary temper.

"Well, sure, after she's...calmed down a bit...or hit me – one of the two."

"Ranma, you have to be careful," Kasumi sighed. "I know you mean well, but one of these days you are going to push her too far..."

"It ain't gonna happen Kasumi, I won't let it. I'm working on it, and I will make it better; I promised her." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I gotta go talk to her. Thanks for the...warning."

He raced around the house, coming up short at the doors to the dojo as he saw his Pops go flying across the room. His gaze was riveted to the sight of Akane, flushed and sweaty, glowing with frustration, and fire sparking in her eyes. Her _gi_ top had been loosened by her workout, allowing him quick glimpses of her dark blue sports bra, the hint of cleavage, and creamy skin. _God, she's incredible_, he thought in admiration. As her burning gaze turned and met his, he shook his head sharply. This was not the time to be ogling her, he had to fix this, give Akane a reason to forgive him without freaking her out with the fact that her anger turned him on more than Shampoo flaunting herself naked in front of him.

"I thought you'd be at Ucchan's getting your extra special treat," Akane muttered, glancing absently over to where Genma was dragging himself up against the wall, groaning as he moved.

"I'll take over from here Pops. Thanks for warming her up." Ranma waited until Genma was making his way up the porch to the house before slamming the dojo doors closed and rounding on Akane. "D'you honestly think that I would do that to you Tomboy? After everything that's happened? I told you I couldn't let you go and I meant it." He raked his fingers through his hair angrily. "You know, I thought we'd talked about the whole jumping to conclusions thing. She attached herself to me, not the other way around." His jaw was clenched so tightly that he could feel a muscle jumping in his jaw.

"But you never turn them down or turn them away," Akane growled, turning her back on him, fists clenched tightly. "I keep forgiving you and taking you back, and you keep letting them in, letting them hurt us. I can't keep this up Ranma, I just can't. It would be easier to just end this all now – it'll hurt less in the long run." Her shoulders shook with the tears he knew must be slipping from her eyes.

"Dammit Akane, quit talking like that," he growled, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. His suspicions were confirmed as her eyes overflowed with tears that slipped down her cheeks. He yanked her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the fists that beat half-heartedly against his back. "I refuse to give up on us Akane, I refuse. Especially not now. I mean, you're really gonna to tell me to go away after I told Ukyo to take a hike just so I could get back here to you?"

Her fists stilled on his back. "You did?" she asked, her voice muffled by his hard chest.

"I told you I was in this for the long haul 'Kane, and I wasn't lying. It may take me a while, but I'll figure out how to deal with the other fiancées, even if we gotta elope to do it. I know I ain't any good at saying it and I'm kinda clumsy at showing it, but I don't ever want anyone but you Tomboy, you got that?" Ranma's arms tightened around Akane's lean muscular body, loosening his hold as she squeaked in surprise and pushed back away from him. When he would have let her go completely, she wrapped her own arms around him, keeping him close.

"Wh-what did you say to Ukyo?" Akane hiccoughed.

Ranma related the story to her, glossing over his panic attack halfway home, knowing it would make her doubt his sincerity. He bit his lip as Akane stared at him for a long moment after he'd finished before laying her head against his chest. "So, am I forgiven?" he asked tentatively.

Akane's only answer was to reach up to tilt his head down as she rose onto her tiptoes to press her lips to his. Ranma felt the tension leave him and he kissed Akane back, walking her backward until her back hit the wall. He pressed into her, deepening the kiss. They became more and more entangled in each other, and Ranma slid one hand her neck into her hair, while the other slid down over her butt. _God, I wish we could take this further_, he moaned to himself after a long timeless moment, knowing that he would have to end this soon if he was going to have any hope of stopping. His lips left hers to trail down her throat, making her whimper quietly.

"Ranma...we've got to..."

"Stop, I know. I just wish..." Ranma pulled away to press his forehead against hers.

"Me too Ranma, but it's only another year or so...Just until we graduate, then..." She licked her lips then pressed them lightly to Ranma's. "Thank you for standing up to Ukyo, it means a lot."

"Well, y'know, once upon a time I thought she was my best friend, but then I realized another girl had taken that place in my heart," he grinned ruefully.

"Who? Shampoo?" she demanded teasingly.

"No dummy. You. I'd do anything for you." He kissed her forehead gently, marvelling at how far they'd come over the past six months, though it was a bit frustrating to see how easy it was to slip back into bad habits.

"Wanna spar?" Akane asked suddenly. "Seems like my sensei is, uh, out of commission right now, so I guess I'm going to need a new sparring partner for the night."

Ranma snorted. "We still gotta work on some of your anger issues Tomboy, so let's get going. We've got a long way to go."

Akane pulled away from her fiancé reluctantly to move to the middle of the dojo. She bowed and dropped into a defensive crouch. Ranma moved to mirror her, pushing aside the guilty twinge he always felt when they sparred with the ease of practice. They met in a vicious dance that personified their tumultuous relationship, spinning, punching, kicking, and dodging at speeds that almost defied the human eye.

When Kasumi came out to give them the half hour warning before dinner, she found them laughing as they engaged in an aerial battle that had them bouncing off the walls and ceiling. They mock absorbed Kasumi into their fight, and by the time she escaped their teasing clutches, she was giggling along with them.

"Hey," Ranma said, grabbing Akane's arm as she moved to follow Kasumi.

"I told you Ranma, I get the first bath," Akane replied, spinning to face him.

"I ain't suicidal, I wasn't gonna fight you on that one Tomboy. I was gonna ask if we're okay." He felt a muscle in his cheek begin to twitch, but he held his ground, needing to know the answer.

"Yeah Baka, we're going to be fine. Thanks for coming back." She smiled and Ranma felt as though the sun had suddenly emerged from behind the clouds. He nearly found himself blinking at the brilliance of it.

"Good. Very good. See you inside Tomboy," he sighed in relief, caressing her cheek gently.

Akane returned the caress and headed for her bath, and Ranma began his cool down routine again. After all the insanity and emotional upheaval of the day, he was kind of dreading school tomorrow. He groaned, remembering the time he'd told Akane that he didn't want a normal life because it'd be too boring. "Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut." He muttered to himself as he headed into the house.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Wow, sorry this took so long! This summer has been stupidly busy...but the upside is that the next chapter is almost done too! I am in the process of editting and re-writing (I am doing my own beta work at this point), so hopefully it won't be too long before I can post again. As always - please review and thanks for reading!

Tomboy.


	4. Chapter 4: The Clinic

****Disclaimer:** **Sadly, I don't own Ranma and Co...Any damage sustained during the writing of this piece is purely surface, and can be fixed with the application of a good rinse cycle...

* * *

><p><strong><strong>**The Clinic**

Ranma burst into Dr. Tofu's clinic in panic, nearly slamming the door off its track. He barely paused to acknowledge the presence of the waiting patients before rushing back to the treatment area at the back of the clinic. Ranma skidded to a halt when Dr. Tofu stepped out in front of him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Where is she?" Ranma demanded wildly, gripping the older man tightly.

"Calm down Ranma, she's fine. She's resting now," Tofu reassured him.

"Where is she?" Ranma snarled, dragging Tofu forward. "I need to see her Doc."

"She's upstairs in the recovery room, but..." the doctor trailed off as Ranma disappeared up the stairs at the back of the clinic.

The young martial artist flew into the room at the end of the hall to find it empty except for the blue-haired girl lying in the bed furthest from the door. He was at his fiancée's side in a flash, dropping to his knees, hands fluttering over her, unsure of where to settle. She looked so frail as she lay in the narrow hospital bed, pale blankets tucked up under her arms. Ranma tentatively grasped her hand and bit his lip as her shadowed eyes fluttered open.

"'Kane?" he rasped, forcing the plea past the lump in his throat.

"Ranma..." Akane's voice was a throaty whisper as her sleepy eyes struggled to focus. "Glad you're here."

The scene held too much familiarity and Ranma found he couldn't answer, dropping his head to lean against her side, pressing his face into the mattress as he tried to shove aside the all-encompassing fear that had consumed him since he'd first heard she'd been hurt. He'd always hated the thought of Akane getting hurt, often going out of his way to ensure she wouldn't, but ever since Jusendo, he'd been terrified at the thought of something happening to her. During that horrific adventure, he'd thought he'd lost her twice then and it had nearly crippled him, leaving him with the realization that experiences like that left scars, ones that were less visible than the usual damage he was used to sustaining. The thought of losing her now, when they were finally together, was even more painful and he wasn't completely sure he could survive it.

Fortunately, Akane was aware of all that and – to his extreme discomfort – they had discussed it at length after his first panic attack.

"Hey now," she soothed, squeezing his hand while her free hand began to stroke through his hair. "It's all right. I'm fine, just a bit sleepy from whatever Doctor Tofu gave me." Ranma raised his head slowly, revealing damp cheeks and red eyes. Akane smiled gently at him and stroked her cool fingers across his cheeks, erasing the evidence of his weakness. "I appreciate that you worry about me though, love."

Ranma's cheeks flamed red, the way they always did when Akane addressed that particular endearment his way and she shook her head. "Honestly Ranma..."

Whatever she had been about to say was lost as Tofu entered the room. He sat on the bed across from Akane and raised an eyebrow at the blushing young man. "Now do you believe she's fine?" he asked, his smile taking away the patronizing edge to his words.

Ranma smiled ruefully at the doctor before frowning down at his pale fiancée. "So what the hell happened?" he asked, sitting back on his heels.

It was Akane's turn to blush as she suddenly avoided Ranma's intense regard. "Ah...well, I was at gymnastics practice after school and Gosunkugi had his camera out, you know, taking pictures for the school paper." Ranma rolled his eyes at Akane's naïveté. That creepy little pervert was definitely _not_ taking pictures for the school newspaper.

"Anyway, Kuno came bursting in, yelling about how he'd heard that his 'fierce tigress had taken up gymnastics to increase her flexibility in preparation for the day she will give herself to me'." Ranma choked on spit upon hearing that, and his battle aura crackled into existence around him. Akane shot him a sympathetic glance. "Needless to say, I vaulted the pommel horse and sent him right back out the doors with a flying roundhouse kick." She frowned. "He didn't get nearly the kind of height I was hoping for, but it had the same end result."

Dr. Tofu choked on a laugh and Ranma found himself torn between anger at Kuno's relentless delusion and amusement at the indignation painted across Akane's face.

"That would have been the end of it, except that when I turned to go back to the practice, I had too much momentum and Gosunkugi was behind me. I tripped over him and tumbled head first into the bleachers. I got a bunch of cuts and bruises, sprained my ankle, wrenched my elbow and may have knocked myself out for a bit." She winced as Ranma's hand squeezed hers convulsively.

"Who was there while you were out?" Ranma's growl reached subterranean levels. If any of those guys who normally hung around the girls' gymnastic practice had touched her...

"Yuka was waiting to walk me home, so she got to me first, but Fujiwara-sensei wasn't far behind," she reassured him, patting his hand as it loosened and his expression lightened.

"They called me, and I brought her here," Tofu continued. "And, as I have told you multiple times now, she's fine and a fast healer. The ankle will heal up in a few days, same with the bruises and wrenched joints, and her head is fine. No concussion, no lasting damage, just a lump and some slight dizziness that is pretty much gone. If I didn't believe that it was physically impossible, I'd say her head was as hard as yours Ranma." Tofu grinned at the half-hearted glare Ranma sent his way. "I'll keep her overnight, just to make sure – not that I think anything will happen," he reassured, "but it's better safe than sorry when it comes to knocks on the head."

"Thanks Doc," Ranma said, reaching out his free hand to clasp the older man's. "We owe you one."

"Hello? Is anyone here?" called a sweet voice from downstairs.

Ranma rushed to reclaim his hand as Tofu's glasses fogged over and Akane snickered at the panic on his face. He was just in time as Tofu laughed manically and danced around the beds, clutching the sheets Ranma had shoved into his arms in his panic. The door opened and Kasumi was revealed, smiling gently with her basket tucked securely into the crook of her arm.

"Oh, there you are Ranma. I was worried when you disappeared like that after Yuka called." Kasumi absently patted Tofu on the arm as she passed him, sending him into a paroxysm of giggles as he began to wrap the sheets around his head in a bizarre turban. "Akane, I brought you some things you may need for the night, since Yuka mentioned Dr. Tofu planned on keeping overnight."

"Thanks Kasumi," Akane smiled warmly up from her pillow. "You're so thoughtful."

"I-i-i-it's lovely to see you again Kasumi," Tofu grinned at Ranma, his voice oddly muffled by the yards of fabric swathing his head.

"Man Doc," Ranma muttered, turning the older man to face Kasumi. "One of these days you're gonna have to learn how to pull yourself together when she's around."

Ranma turned back to his fiancée, ignoring the increasingly ridiculous conversation taking place between the two adults. He found Akane struggling to sit up. He frowned down at her as her wrenched elbow refused to hold her weight and she looked up at him with a pleading expression.

"I hate facing people flat on my back," she sighed.

"You're lucky I like you," Ranma grumbled, slipping an arm around her shoulders and shoving a few pillows behind her back before easing her down.

She smiled up at him and patted his cheek in thanks, rolling her eyes when he winked at her. Their attention was pulled back to Kasumi as she laughed – a startlingly loud and joyful sound. Ranma and Akane stared in astonishment as Kasumi clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes sparkling with laughter as Tofu staggered out of the room, walking on his hands with the bizarre turban still wrapped awkwardly around his head.

"Um..." Ranma blinked, looking from his blue-haired fiancée to her brunette sister. "Should I go get him back?"

"Oh, don't worry about dear Doctor Tofu. He'll be back soon," Kasumi reassured her future brother-in-law. She placed her basket on the bed beside Akane and began to empty it onto the bedside table. "Here are your overnight things and a change of clothes for tomorrow. I brought you some cherry blossom mochi for a snack, because I know how much you love it." Kasumi smiled and caressed her baby sister's cheek as she sat on the mattress beside her. Ranma moved to make room for her.

"Thanks Kasumi, you always take such good care of me," Akane murmured, leaning her head back against the pillows.

The two sisters talked quietly together for a while with Ranma leaning against the wall by Akane's head. He watched Akane with narrowed eyes, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned white. He noted the light bruising under her eyes and the fact that her face was only a few shades darker than the pillow. Kuno and Gosunkugi were going to pay for getting Akane hurt like this.

"Hey Ranma. Earth to Ranma..."

"Sorry 'Kane," Ranma apologized, shaking his head to clear it. "What didja say?"

"Kasumi's leaving now. Do you want to head home with her?"

"Naw, I'll stay with you for a while." Ranma flashed a quick smile at his fiancée and her sister before it collapsed into a frown. "Don't tell Pops though, okay? Tell him I'm out training or something."

Kasumi giggled and shook her head. "Don't worry Ranma. As usual, your secret is safe with me."

Akane and Ranma gave the sweet natured eldest Tendo sister a grateful look. She was the only member of their families who knew what was really going on between the two of them over the last six months.

Kasumi kissed Akane's cheek, patted Ranma's arm and headed for the door. They followed her progress out of the clinic by the strange sounds and thumps that heralded Tofu following her out the door.

Now that no one else was around, the two teens rearranged themselves so that Ranma sat propped against the pillows with Akane's head in his lap. He idly stroked his fingers through her dark hair, smoothing out the tangles as he listened to her breathe – a pastime that had become utterly consuming since Jusendo.

"You're worrying again," Akane commented, reaching up to run a finger over the furrowed skin between his brows.

"I don't like it when you get hurt. Especially when it's because of bastards like Gosunkugi and Kuno," he growled.

"Now that's being a bit harsh on poor Gosunkugi, lumping him in with Kuno. He's just an awkward boy who happens to have a healthy interest in the supernatural. Who can blame him, really, with all the weird stuff that happens in Nerima," Akane admonished.

Ranma snorted. "Sure Tomboy, it's a 'healthy' interest." He formed sarcastic air quotes just above her face. "You just keep on believing that."

"Jerk! Are you implying I'm missing something obvious?" she demanded.

"Never mind, it ain't worth arguing about," he answered, miming zipping his lips closed.

Akane failed to get any further words out of him, not even when she weakly went after his ticklish spots. Ranma flopped around, laughing helplessly, carefully shielding Akane from further harm despite his flailing. Eventually Akane gave up and settled huffily back into Ranma's lap as he chuckled softly over his victory.

"What if it's Shampoo next time?" he asked after about ten minutes of silence.

"What if it's Shampoo what? Taking pictures of me? Tripping me? Or excited over the thought of my flexibility and our supposed upcoming consummation?" Akane scoffed.

The martial artist growled and thumped the wall in frustration. "No Akane, I am not secretly worried that Shampoo wants you – which is kinda hot in a kinky way." He winced as Akane dug her nails into his leg and grabbed her hand. "I was trying to be serious here woman. What if it's her fault you wind up in a hospital next time? D'you know what that would do to me?"

Akane sighed "What are we supposed to do, hide how we feel about each other for the rest of our lives? I don't want to live like that Ranma. My training is coming along as fast as you and Uncle Saotome can manage, so what else are we going to do? Run away? She'd find us, and neither one of us is a coward, so we'd come back and be in an even worse position." She smiled up at her fiancé ruefully.

"I know that, you think I don't? It just...the thought of it freaks me out, okay." Ranma scrubbed a hand over his face. "I keep trying to think of a way out and they all end with you getting hurt, and I ain't gonna let that happen. I'll think of something, we just gotta keep this quiet a bit longer, until we figure things out."

"I do understand Ranma," Akane murmured. "I'm just tired of hiding, but I'll keep this up for your peace of mind for now. What's a year or so of hiding compared to spending the rest of my life with you."

Ranma snorted, but was unable to wipe the slightly goofy grin off his face. "That was sickeningly romantic Tomboy, even for you."

"Baka," she drawled fondly.

Neither noticed the shadow outside the window that seemed to glow with an ominous light as Ranma leaned down to kiss Akane teasingly. By the time they surfaced from the kiss, the shadow was gone and they could hear Dr. Tofu greeting a client downstairs, clearly having recovered from his overdose of Kasumi.

They sat together, Akane dozing and Ranma running through the mechanics of a _ki_ technique he'd been trying to perfect in his head, trying to work out how it would work with the different _ki_ paths of his girl side. When Dr. Tofu brought Akane her dinner, Ranma reluctantly headed home to eat in order to keep up appearances, but promised he'd be back as soon as he could get away safely.

Akane dozed fitfully after finishing her food and Dr. Tofu had gone back to his own apartment over the clinic. She was still tired, but felt strangely vulnerable with Ranma gone. As darkness began falling over Nerima, Akane heard the window open and the faint scuff of soft soled shoe on the floor.

"Ranma?" she whispered, searching the darkness of the room when the swelling in her elbow restricted her movement enough that she couldn't reach the lamp beside her bed.

"Harlot," hissed a harsh voice. "You think to steal my Ranma-sama away from me with spells and trickery? I shall free him from your conniving clutches and finally claim him as my own."

"Kodachi? Is that you? What are you talking about?" Akane questioned wildly, wondering what the crazy Kuno sister had seen or heard to send her so far off the deep end.

"I saw you today," she screeched, pulling her preferred extra-large mallet out from under her cloak. "I saw you with your dirty lips all over him. He belongs to me, his lips are mine alone."

Akane gulped as the other girl swooped across the room, gritting her teeth at the pain that crashed over her when she threw herself off the bed and landed in a defensive crouch. _Kodachi always did have the worst timing_, Akane thought as she observed the rather significant dent the mallet made in the space she'd so recently occupied.

Kodachi yanked the mallet up and leapt at her rival again. Akane rolled over the bed to her right, coming up on her feet and painfully raising her arms in a guard position. She quickly assessed her body's current capacity and was slightly apprehensive at the report she got back. Her jaw firmed in determination after a heartbeat; she'd never let Kodachi beat her yet, and she wasn't about to start now.

The young heir to the Tendo school of Anything Goes shifted into motion as the other girl flew over the bed at her. Akane caught the descending mallet and swept her leg out, taking Kodachi's feet out from under her. The insane gymnast hit the floor with a shriek and Akane avoided the wildly swung mallet blow to her knees by jumping over the oversized blunt object. Unfortunately, Akane missed seeing the ribbon wielded in Kodachi's other hand until it wrapped around her injured knee. The second she landed, Kodachi yanked and Akane's damaged joint gave out, her leg crumpling. She went down hard, stifling a whimper of pain.

Kodachi kipped lithely to her feet with a maniacal cackle, raising her mallet in preparation for hammering Akane into the floor she was struggling to raise herself off of. "At last Akane Tendo, you will no longer hold sway over my Ranma-sama with your evil spells."

The mallet was arcing toward Akane's unprotected head as she fought the screaming weakness of her body to twist out of the way, when a tanned, lightly scarred hand abruptly halted its downward momentum.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" Ranma demanded, his fiery blue gaze flicking between his crumpled fiancée, panting on the floor, and the delusional girl standing over her.

"Ranma-sama, you came back for me," Kodachi cried, dropping the mallet with a clatter and throwing herself at him. "I knew I could break this foul sorceress' spell."

"What is it with you and your brother and friggin' obsessions with sorcery? Get offa me," he growled, unwinding Kodachi's arms from around his neck and dropping to Akane's side. "Are you alright 'Kane?" His hands slid lightly over the old bruises and injured joints in his search for new damage and Akane stifled a moan at the pain.

Akane pressed her lips together and leaned into his heat, allowing herself this moment of weakness as a reward for not fainting. Ranma frowned at the pasty white colour she'd turned, all except her cheeks, which burned with hectic colour.

"Damn it Kodachi, what the hell were you thinking?" He lifted Akane into his arms gently, wincing at her faint gasp of pain, and settled her carefully into the nearest bed left untouched by Kodachi's frenzy before turning to face the deranged girl.

"She had you under a spell and I came to save you," Kodachi explained with a hurt expression. "Does that harlot still have you under her power? Stand aside then, and I shall dispose of her so you will be free to join with me." She moved toward the pale sweating girl who had struggled upright to face her assailant and Ranma shifted so he remained between them.

"Don't you dare go near her." Ranma's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white and his voice was rough and low.

"Don't worry Ranma-sama, it will be quick, though it is more than she deserves." Kodachi leapt up to balance on the railing at the foot of Akane's bed.

Ranma moved faster than could be tracked by the human eye, slamming Kodachi against the wall, trapping her wrists by her head. "Go near Akane again and I will end you. I ain't under any spell, so you can just fuck off." His voice rumbled deep in his chest, emphasizing his anger.

Kodachi tittered and wriggled sensuously against his hold. "Oh, Ranma-sama, I didn't know you liked it rough too. This is sudden, but I always imagine our first time would be against a wall."

"Gah!" Ranma cried, dropping Kodachi's arms like they were firebrands and leaping backward. He heard Akane's faint "ew" echo his disgust at the whole situation. "Just...just get outta here Kodachi, and don't come back until I invite you back."

"Ohohohoho, Ranma-sama, it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but don't make me wait for long, I am in my physical and sexual prime after all," Kodachi cackled, whipping out her ribbon and swirling it around herself in a cloud of black rose petals before leaping out the window. She left Ranma and Akane staring after her in revulsion and bemusement.

Finally, Ranma shook off his shock and rushed to Akane's side. "Are you okay Akane?" he asked, brushing her hair back from her sweat streaked face. He wondered just how long he was going to be able to hold off the other girls by sending them away or dodging them. This stalemate couldn't last forever.

"Ow." She leaned into his hand.

"I'll get the Doc, just hold on." Ranma was out of the room and down the stairs in the blink of an eye.

When he returned with Dr. Tofu, there was a flurry of activity as they got Akane resettled and her injuries re-treated. Finally Dr. Tofu left to return to his bed and Ranma sat on the side of Akane's bed, watching her worriedly as she relaxed slowly back into the pillow.

"I'm okay Ranma. For real, I promise. I just seem to have lost the ability to move for now...I'm sure it'll pass though," Akane said faintly, pain and exhaustion lacing her tone.

Ranma shook his head in exasperation and just a bit of admiration. "Stubborn Tomboy. Just sleep, okay? The Doc says you need to sleep lots so you heal right. I'll make sure nothing happens while you do, promise."

"No, you should go home and get some rest," Akane slurred as the painkillers Tofu had given her began to kick in "Everyone will wonder where you are and get suspicious."

"Relax, it's taken care of. Kasumi sent Pops and your dad out to find the old pervert," Ranma snorted. "If they stay true to form, they'll be gone all night, pretending they can find him in every bar in Nerima, so I'm staying here tonight with Kasumi and the Doc's blessing. We're just lucky Nabiki is off on that university tour this week."

"'Kay," Akane sighed as her eyes drifted closed. She clumsily patted the mattress at her side. "Plenty of room. Don't forget you need sleep too."

Ranma chuckled as her breath relaxed into the deep rhythms of sleep. He brushed hair out of her face before getting up and making sure that all the windows were locked and the curtains were drawn. Finally, after a thorough circuit of the room, he returned to Akane's bed, slipped off his shoes and crawled in beside her.

He was careful not to jostle her and left a cushion of air between their bodies to ensure he didn't accidentally hurt her in the middle of the night. Ranma knew that this was the last place he should be – not even taking the temptation factor into account - Akane had not been in her right mind when she'd suggested he sleep beside her. She'd probably freak when she discovered him beside her in the morning, but he needed this tonight. Everything that had happened today had him remembering what had happened in Jusendo, and he wanted her close.

"Sleep tight 'Kane," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. She murmured in her sleep and shifted closer to him, her head lolling to rest on his shoulder.

As he tried to relax enough to sleep, Ranma found he was kept wakeful by two thoughts that chased each other round and round his brain. _How was he going to keep Akane safe from the other girls who wanted to marry him without hurting them too badly?_ And _what was he going to do if Kodachi told someone what she'd seen?_

The merits of a quiet life were beginning to show themselves more and more clearly. Suddenly Ranma snorted, causing Akane to twitch closer to him. "Nah," he whispered, nuzzling into his fiancée's hair. "What would be the fun in that?" He gave up on keeping his distance and curled around Akane as he resolutely closed his eyes and fell quickly asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Jeez. I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to all the people who have been loyally following this story. My life since August has been beyond insane and I've had a really hard time finishing this chapter. Hopefully it was worth the wait...

This chapter is dedicated to my grandfather - you may not have had the chance to read this Pops, but I know you're proud.


	5. Chapter 5: The Dojo

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ranma and Co...I always return them after thoroughly messing with their heads...

* * *

><p><strong>The Dojo<strong>

Akane wandered aimlessly homeward after an afternoon spent at the mall with Yuka, Sayuri, and some of their other friends. It had been an odd afternoon, and she'd felt on edge the whole time, unable to completely enjoy the shopping, girl talk, and ice cream. It had been a while since she'd had the chance to hang out with the girls and she was frustrated that she'd been unable to enjoy herself the way she'd wanted to.

She sighed as she slipped through the gates of the Tendo compound. At least Ranma should be home by now. He'd been away on a training trip with his dad for the past week, and she found that she'd missed him more than she had expected. She always missed him when he was away, but this time it had been worse, like some essential part of her had gone missing. This being in love business was not all it was cracked up to be – it was getting in the way of her girl time. She snorted at her own folly as she walked into the kitchen to find Kasumi preparing for dinner.

"Hey Kasumi, how's it going?" Akane snagged a raw carrot stick from pile being chopped for the stir fry.

"Welcome home little sister," Kasumi smiled. "Did you have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fun," Akane answered half-heartedly, nibbling on the carrot.

Kasumi's smile widened and took on a knowing edge. "He's in the dojo," she whispered.

Akane's heart leapt wildly in her chest. She took a steadying breath and rose on her tiptoes to place a fleeting kiss on Kasumi's cheek. "Thanks. Let us know if you need any help setting the table," she offered, knowing better than to offer to help with the meal, regardless of how much she wanted to. The last thing she needed was to poison her poor fiancé the day he got back.

She was almost at the half-closed dojo doors when she heard voices and paused to make sure Nabiki, Uncle Saotome, and her father weren't nearby. She leaned against the wall to the right of the door and focused on the low voices from inside the dojo.

"I can't do this anymore man, it's wrong and cruel, and she doesn't deserve this from either of us," Ranma stated earnestly from inside the dojo. Akane frowned at the words, wondering what Ranma meant and who he was talking to.

A growl echoed through the dojo. "Ranma this is all your fault. You're the reason I can't tell her the truth and now you want me to give her up completely? You can be such a bastard sometimes."

"I don't understand why this is such a big deal Pork Butt. You've got Akari, so why are you hanging on to this schoolboy crush you have on _my_ fiancée when 'Kane just thinks of you as a friend?" Ranma demanded, beginning to sound exasperated.

Outside the doors, Akane frowned. What was Ranma talking about? Clearly Ryoga was in there with him, but what was going on? _Ryoga has a crush on me? That explains so much_, Akane thought. She returned her attention to the strange conversation in the dojo.

"W-well...Akari's great and everything, but Akane is my first love and I can't stand idly by and watch the way you jerk her around all the time. She deserves better than a two...uh, three-timer like you." Ryoga's growl was gaining volume as he spoke until he was shouting. At least he was shouting up until he started stuttering over how many girls Ranma was supposedly cheating on Akane with.

Akane's frown deepened as Ranma's voice filled the dojo at the subterranean levels that indicated he was furious. "God dammit Ryoga, you've got no idea what you're talking about. I would never hurt Akane, and I ain't a two or three timer. What you've been doing to her is a million times worse than anything I've ever put Akane through and you know it." Akane heard the sound of a body slamming against the wall and felt the boards she leaned against shake. "I swore I wouldn't tell anyone your secret and look at all the trouble it's caused me."

"Ha! Keep my secret, that's a joke," Ryoga laughed mirthlessly. "You drop hints like crazy, you taunt me, and you flaunt your other girls in front of Akane without caring how much it hurts her. You are an arrogant, heartless cur and need to be put down, and I am just the man to do it."

"Gah!" Ranma shouted in frustration. Akane followed the sound of Ranma shoving Ryoga back against the wall storming across the floor. "I ain't flaunting anything and I've caused the Tomboy more pain by helping you keep this from her than with anything else. 'Sides, you've caused more than your fair share of fights between her and me. I'm lucky I've been able to salvage any kind of relationship with her the way you've been fucking with us since you got here."

Akane stared across the yard, not taking in any details, chewing on her lip as she tried to puzzle through this weirdly disturbing conversation she was now actively eavesdropping on.

"What are you talking about Ranma? You and Akane don't have a relationship beyond you annoying her and her sending you into the stratosphere," Ryoga snorted.

"You got no idea what you're talking about Pork Butt," Ranma growled.

"Oh really? You think I don't see how much you love to cause sweet Akane pain?" Ryoga demanded and Akane gasped at the viciousness of his tone.

"God, you are so stupidly blind. I just l-l-love her Hibiki and you know what, she _wants_ to be with me." Akane could practically feel the pressure of Ryoga's shocked and angry silence. "I want to be with _her_ Ryoga, not any of those other girls, just Akane." Ranma huffed and Akane could picture him scrubbing his hands through his hair, the way he did when he was frustrated. "I've never wanted anyone but her."

Akane closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, savouring the words that Ranma was so rarely able to articulate. She bit her lip and sighed happily. Even if Ranma was arguing with Ryoga, it was worth it to hear this.

"I think you're lying," Ryoga growled desperately. "I think you want me to tell her that I'm P-Chan to destroy her love for me because you're jealous."

Akane froze, feeling the blood drain from her face. A thousand images flashed before her eyes, her beloved pet pig...who wore a black speckled bandana, just like Ryoga's; who was always getting lost, just like Ryoga; who blushed when she hugged him, just like Ryoga; who attacked Ranma all the time, just like Ryoga. She whimpered, forgetting that she was supposed to be eavesdropping, and thudded to the floor as her knees gave out.

"What was that?" she heard distantly over the pounding blood in her ears.

Suddenly Ranma was crouching in front of her, reaching for her. "Oh Tomboy, I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this."

"You knew," Akane whispered, clinging desperately to his shoulders. "You knew and you didn't tell me." Her lip quivered as she tried to understand the magnitude of this betrayal by the two boys she'd trusted the most. Ranma had known that Ryoga had a Jusenkyo curse and had used it to cuddle with her...and sleep in her bed. Akane gagged quietly at the thought. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she muttered under her breath.

Ranma cuddled her close, stroking her hair and murmuring his own chant in her ear. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"A-Akane," Ryoga croaked from the doorway of the dojo. "I-I'm sorry, it's just..."

Akane pulled away from Ranma, shaking off his arms and climbing to her feet, hardening her heart against his desperate expression. "It's just what Ryoga? What excuse can you possibly have for pretending to be my pet? For lying to me? For sleeping in my _bed_?"

"I...um...well," Ryoga stuttered, pressing his fingertips together anxiously. Ranma snorted behind Akane and Ryoga's eyes narrowed. "It's all Ranma's fault," he snarled, leaping forward to grab Akane's hands.

She yanked her hands free and backed away, coming up against Ranma's broad chest. He rested his hands on her hips to steady her, squeezing slightly in support when she didn't pull away. Akane watched as Ryoga's face darkened in rage at the intimacy of the gesture.

"He's the one who shoved me into the Spring of Drowned Pig at Jusenkyo, he's the reason we haven't been able to express our love for each other, and he is the reason _I have seen hell_!"

"I'm trying to understand how you can even think...how you could..." Akane trailed off, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger as she tried to rein in her temper. "I don't love you Ryoga, I'm really sorry, but I have only ever thought of you as a friend. After all this though..." Akane drew in a deep shuddering breath. "I need you to leave now Ryoga."

"B-but...Akane..."

"No. I am angry and hurt and disgusted right now and I need you to be not here for a while. Maybe someday we can be friends again, but right now I need time to figure out if I can forgive you first." Akane clenched her fists at her side to stop their trembling.

"What about Ranma? He knew about this too. He kept secrets from you – about this, about the other girls..."

"Just stop," she snapped, taking a step away from Ranma's warmth at her back. Akane shivered slightly at the dejected air that radiated off him as soon as she pulled away. "I don't want to hear any more excuses. Ranma's going to have a lot of explaining to do, but he isn't the one who betrayed me so thoroughly."

She watched as shoulders drooped and he slowly walked disconsolately away from where she and Ranma stood on the porch of the dojo. He got lost three times trying to find the gate, wandering the yard for almost ten minutes before he finally left. As soon as he was gone, Akane turned to Ranma with an icy expression on her face.

"I am going to take a bath. Then I am going to my room. You will tell Kasumi that I am not coming down to dinner and you will explain the reason why." She watched as he visibly folded in on himself at her harshly precise diction and began to slink toward the house. She grabbed his arm and spun him back to face her, waving her finger threatening under his nose. "If you even think about leaving before I am ready to talk to you, I will hunt you down and teach you the meaning of pain Ranma Saotome."

His expression lightened slightly and he nodded, reaching out to tentatively caress her cheek. "You got it Tomboy. Just let me know when you're ready and I'll be there."

Akane nodded curtly and spun on her heel, heading for the bath and the faint hope that she would be able to scrub away the skin crawling feeling she'd had since the moment she'd looked at Ryoga's face and known the truth. Taking care to avoid running into anyone, Akane reached the furo, stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathing room. Sitting on the low stool, she began to vigorously, almost viciously scrub herself down.

By the time she poured buckets of cold water over herself to rinse away the soap lather, her skin was pink and raw. Akane slid into the hot water of the furo, hissing at the heat on her tender skin, and studiously thought of nothing, employing some of the meditation techniques Ranma had taught her in order to clear her mind and control her temper. She needed distance to think this through and she was way too mad right now.

When Akane finally dragged herself from out of the bath, her muscles felt rubbery and her skin was pruney. She towelled off, pulled on her yukata, which had magically appeared – or maybe not so magically, Akane realized as she noticed that the clothes she had been wearing earlier were now in the washing machine. Kasumi worked in mysterious ways. She slid her feet into her slippers and shuffled up to her room, ignoring the voices coming from the family room. Once safely in her room with the door locked, she pulled on a pair of soft cotton short pants and a grey tank top, hung her yukata neatly on the back of the door, and brushed her hair. Realizing that she had run out of reasons to not think about the confrontation that had gone down in the dojo earlier, she collapsed onto her bed and scrubbed her hands over her face.

"All right," she muttered to herself, staring at the ceiling. "First things first...what are the cold hard facts?"

She closed her eyes and began ticking off points in her head. Fact one – Ryoga was P-Chan. Fact two – he had slept in her bed and cuddled her without her knowledge. Fact three – Ranma had known about this from the start. Fact four – both boys had hidden this huge secret from her.

Akane sighed, gritting her teeth and siphoning her anger off to more useful outlets the way Ranma and Uncle Saotome had taught her in the course of her early training. She pulled herself up into a lotus position and closed her eyes as she began sorting through memories. The images of P-Chan made her feel dirty and used, but she tried to move beyond that as she realized how many times Ryoga had helped them – particularly when they'd been in China. This whole mess actually explained the majority of the times the temperamental young man had accompanied Ranma on his many adventures and searches for a cure.

By the time she emerged from the internal reflection, the sun was low on the horizon and her stomach was rumbling. A knock sounded on the door, startling her; she leapt to her feet, a frown gathering on her brow. _I told Ranma to wait until I was ready to talk to him_. She yanked open the door, ready to yell at her pigtailed fiancé for rushing her processing, but her anger deflated so quickly it left her feeling drained as she saw who was at the door.

"Oh, Kasumi. Sorry...I thought...well, never mind."

"I brought you dinner," Kasumi stated redundantly, hefting the tray in her hands. She moved past Akane to set it down on the desk. Kasumi turned to face her sister and leaned against the desk. "Ranma told me what happened," she prompted gently. "He also made it quite clear that we were going to leave the decision of Ryoga's status in this household up to you." She cocked a quizzical eyebrow at the younger woman.

Akane sighed and dropped to sit on the edge of her bed. "Dammit. I want to be mad at him, but then he goes and does something like this." At Kasumi's confused expression, Akane rushed to clarify. "Ranma, I mean. The thing with Ryoga is..." She waved her hands around violently, trying to express herself. "Grrr. But Ranma knew about this and didn't tell me, and that makes me wonder how far I can trust him." Kasumi opened her mouth to answer, but Akane just kept talking over her. "But that's crazy right? I mean, after everything he's done to protect me, everything he's done for me, how can I not trust him? I love him, so that means I must trust him. Gah! This is so stupid," she growled, fisting her fingers in her damp hair.

"So, you aren't sitting up here trying to figure out how you feel about Ryoga's betrayal?" Kasumi asked tentatively.

"What? No. I'm past that already. What he did was wrong and I'm pissed, but what kind of example has he ever really had? He's spent too much time alone and all this is a direct result of that. It'll take a long while before I forgive him or feel comfortable around him, but I'll get over it eventually. The thing I'm struggling with is the fact that Ranma didn't tell me."

"He did mention something about a promise on his honour," Kasumi suggested deliberately.

Akane frowned, seeing where she was going with this. "But what about my honour?" she wailed, burying her face in her hands. "What else has he been hiding from me?"

"Akane..."

"You're right," Akane broke in, raising her head and smacking one fist into an open palm. "I know he loves me and was probably trapped by his own stupid sense of honour and responsibility. He was trying to get Ryoga to tell me after all."

Kasumi stared at her sister in bewilderment at the speed of Akane's shifting logic. "Okay, so clearly I have to give him a chance to explain himself." She sighed heavily. "The only problem is that I'm not quite ready to see him yet. I guess I'll eat first. Could you maybe tell Ranma that I'll call him when I'm ready to talk?"

Kasumi blinked away her dazed expression and shook her head in amusement. "Of course Akane; let me know if you need anything." At Akane's reluctant nod, she left the room, and the door closed behind her with a quiet click.

Akane lay on her bed for a while, staring contemplatively at the ceiling for a while before seating herself at her desk to eat and start her homework in an effort to keep her mind occupied. Eventually, it grew dark and Akane pushed her work aside and stuck her head out the window.

"Ranma? You up there?" she called.

The pigtailed youth appeared upside down, hanging from the eaves, with a sorrowful look on his expressive face.

Akane snorted. "Will you just get in here Baka?" Ranma swung in through the window and she shook her head. "You're so ridiculous, you know that, right?

Ranma leaned back against the wall as Akane sat on the bed and narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, do you have any excuses you'd like to get out of the way before we really get into this?"

Ranma hung his head. "I ain't got any excuses for any of this 'Kane. I messed up big time when I swore to keep Pork Butt's secret. I get it if you don't feel like you can trust me right now, but you gotta tell me what I can do to make it up to you." His sincerity was clearly written all over his face and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

"How can you make it so hard to stay angry at you?" Akane demanded, rubbing her temples tiredly.

Ranma shifted across the room and dropped to his knees in front of her. He brushed hair away from her face before cradling her cheek and softly running his thumb across it. "Sorry?" he murmured, looking outrageously apologetic.

"I need you to tell me the whole story," Akane suddenly demanded, pulling back to sit with her back against the wall.

Ranma pursed his lips and frowned for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. He settled cross-legged on the floor in front of her and haltingly began to recount the mess his innocent promise had turned into. Akane listened expressionlessly, chewing at her lower lip and watching his expressive face. She felt the tightness in her chest ease slightly at the obvious contrition that coloured his words and voice. The fact that keeping this secret had clearly been tearing him apart to keep this secret from her went a long way to easing her trepidation as well.

Ranma brought his story to a close by telling her how Ryoga had supposedly given up on her and decided to pursue his relationship with Akari, but how he'd keep appearing back at the dojo. This had frustrated Ranma enough to the point where he'd had enough of the lies and the fights he'd had with Akane over P-Chan, and he'd demanded that Ryoga tell Akane about his curse or, at the very least, release him from his vow. "Which is right about where you came in," he finished, looking up at her abashedly through his bangs.

Akane sighed and leaned back against the wall. She gestured for her fiancé to join her on the bed. "I do appreciate that you didn't try to lie...about this part, at any rate."

"Are you kidding?" Ranma snorted, tentatively settling his shoulder against hers. "I can't lie to you. You've always been able to see right through me. And every stupid stunt I've ever tried to pull," he added after a moment of reflection. "I know this is bad, maybe worse than anything I've ever pulled, and I'll get where you're coming from if you never wanna see me again, but there's one last thing you gotta know before you make that decision."

Akane frowned up at him, but gestured for him to finish before she said her piece.

"You are the w-whole world to me Akane Tendo, and I ain't ever gonna stop fighting for you," Ranma declared passionately, if a bit hesitantly.

Akane closed her eyes tightly for a moment before shifting in a flurry of motion so she knelt with a knee on either side of Ranma's thighs and her hands framed his startled face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "You listen to me Ranma Saotome, you are mine and I love you. I'm not going to let a pervert like Ryoga Hibiki change that." As the expression on his face began to lighten, she continued, "but you have _got_ to stop keeping secrets from me."

His hands found their way to her hips as he smiled ruefully. "A guy's gotta have some secrets." Akane rolled her eyes and he squeezed her hips to keep her from interrupting. "I will swear to you – on my honour as a martial artist – that I will never keep a big secret like this from you ever again."

"I suppose that'll have to do," she sighed, resting her forehead against his. "Does anyone else know you're up here?"

"Just Kasumi. Everyone else thinks I went to Ukyo's to a snack," he answered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tight against him.

"Haven't they noticed that she hasn't talked to you in months?" Akane's fingers slid into his hair as Ranma began nuzzling her neck.

"Apparently not," came his muffled reply. "I don't really care, so long as it gives me an excuse to be here with you without them suspecting anything." Akane hummed appreciatively as his kisses became more extensive. "D'you know how hot it is when you claim me? You're mine – and really, the amount of times people challenge that is stupid – but God, I _love_ it when you return the sentiment."

Akane giggled and ducked to capture his lips. Their kisses became more and more prolonged as the heat built between them and their hands wandered freely. Ranma eased Akane onto her back, settling her into the pillows and moving over her. Their make-out session got steadily hotter until they finally broke apart, gasping, and Ranma rolled over to lie on his back beside his fiancée and threw his arm over his eyes.

"This waiting thing is gonna be the death of me one day 'Kane," he muttered, his free hand seeking hers.

She rolled onto her side, propping herself on her elbow and snorted. "Meh, it's good for you. Your dad trained you a little too much around instant gratification."

"Ouch. Now that's just mean Tomboy."

"Oh Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. You're lucky that I love you. I could make your life miserable after what you did if I didn't." Akane smirked at the apprehensive look on his face as he peeked out from under his arm. "Relax, I forgive you. God help me, but I love you and I trust you, so what else am I supposed to do? You've really gotta start thinking before you do things dummy."

"I really am sorry," he sighed, cupping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her forehead down to rest against his. "I just...I ain't so good at thinking things through all the way. Put me in the middle of a fight and I'll come up with the best strategy to win, but real life...not my best arena." He smirked ruefully at her snicker.

"You just haven't had enough practice." She paused, frowning. "Or a good role model for any of that stuff for that matter. We're gonna work on this though, I can't do all the long-term thinking in this relationship."

"Does this mean you're gonna help me by coming up with a solution to the whole extra fiancées issue?" Ranma cheeked, grinning hopefully at her.

Akane punched him in the shoulder hard. "Jerk. I am not doing your dirty work for you. We'll figure it out, whatever we need to do, we do it together. Didn't you mention something about eloping a while ago." When Ranma snorted, she flopped over to lie on her back again. "Well, we've still got a while to go before we get there. We'll figure it out."

"You scared me, you know," Ranma muttered suddenly into the silence that had settled comfortably around them.

"What?"

"The look you gave me earlier...I thought I'd lost you again. After Ch-China and then a few months ago when you had that accident at gymnastics practice...I just...I'm so worried that something's gonna happen and I ain't gonna be able to stop it and I'll lose you. I can't live with that 'Kane, I just can't. It almost destroyed me at Jusendo and that was before I knew that you loved me." He threw his arm up over his face again.

Akane rolled over, slipping her arm around his waist and resting her head on his broad chest. "I'm not going anywhere Ranma. My spot is here, by your side and not one is going to take me away, not if I have anything to say about it."

Ranma pulled her close, nuzzling into her hair. "Thank you for not letting that stupid Bacon Breath get between us. Despite my stupidity."

"I have to forgive you. If I let every stupid thing you did make me hate you, I'd have been gone a long time ago." She pressed a kiss to the notch at the base of his throat. "You may be a stupid jerk of a boy, but you're my jerk."

"Thanks Akane...I..." he trailed off helplessly, words failing him as he clenched his fists in frustration.

"I know Ranma," Akane soothed, her hand stroking his abs gently. His arms tightened around her and moved to entwine his legs with hers.

The teenaged martial artists lay tangled together in Akane's bed, listening to the sound of their fathers bickering out in the yard. Ranma began muttering under his breath.

"What did you say?"

Ranma chuckled softly. "Who wants the quiet life anyway..."

Akane rolled her eyes and pinched his side, making him squeak and shy away from her. "Dummy," she sighed, closing the slight distance between them and snuggling up to his warmth. "We've been over this already. You'd be bored in like, an hour."

He laughed and rolled over her, trapping her between his braced arms and began kissing her neck again, using plenty of tongue and aiming for her ticklish spots. Akane shrieked and squirmed, and the two tousled on the bed, fighting for dominance in their playful match.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Wow friends, I am so sorry that this took so long! As usual, real life got in the way of my writing, but I persevered! Thanks to all of you who encouraged me to keep writing - your reviews helped!

I also wanted to say a big thank you to tuatara, who helped me think through this chapter a while back!

Tomboy


	6. Chapter 6: The Mountain

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ranma & Co. - I always return them only a little bit dusty...**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Mountain<strong>

Akane flopped onto her back in the middle of the field, staring up at the darkly swollen clouds filling the sky. _It's gonna rain soon_, she thought idly. It was funny how aware of the rain she'd become since Ranma had taken her world by storm. Her muscles were expressing their extreme displeasure with her treatment of them with a steady deep throbbing. She didn't know how long she lay there before the slight rustling of leaves to her right had her turning her head.

"This is where you disappeared to. I was getting worried," Ranma scolded gently, moving to stand over her, fists braced on his hips.

"You sound like my dad," Akane muttered, closing her eyes.

Ranma snorted and dropped to sit in the lotus position. "They left you know." Akane frowned and peeked at him with one barely slitted eye. "Pops and your dad, they headed back to Nerima 'cause of the storm coming in. They _decided_ that we should stay."

Akane could tell from the obvious disgust in Ranma's voice that he had fought hard with the two men. "What did they do this time?" she asked tiredly, rolling over on her side and propping her head up on her arm.

"Feh, they just booked it out of here, taking all but one tent and claimed they won't let us back in the dojo for a week. Not that we couldn't beat them in a heartbeat, but just ain't worth the trouble." He sighed heavily and stared out at the trees, rubbing his forehead hard.

"At least we get some time alone though, so that's a plus, right?" Akane asked, trying to understand why this situation was causing Ranma so much stress.

"Pfft, I give it a day, maybe two, before everyone else finds their way out here," Ranma scoffed. He reached out a tense hand to rub a streak of dirt off her cheek.

"Yeah, but even a day is more than we've had for a long while," Akane pointed out, reaching up to cover the large hand on her cheek with hers.

"Whatever, it's gonna be raining soon, so what's the point? We'll be lucky if we can even light a fire tomorrow."

She frowned and sat up, still holding Ranma's hand. "What's really bugging you Ranma? You've been acting funny since we got here."

"Nothing," Ranma growled, pulling away and jumping to his feet. "I'm fine Tomboy, leave it alone." He stalked away, back into the forest toward their camp, leaving Akane staring after him.

Ranma had been on edge ever since they'd come out here on this training trip with their fathers. It had been the usual parade of frustrations and annoyances that came from spending any time with the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs. There had been multiple schemes to try and get the two of them into the same tent, abandoning them in the middle of nowhere together, and other ridiculously stupid plans that had all come to nothing, since she and Ranma were easily able to see through their obvious antics.

She got to her feet slowly, muscles protesting her earlier treatment of them, and followed the path through the woods back to camp. She found Ranma sullenly finishing dinner preparations at their small campfire and watched as he spooned out two large helpings of rice. He balanced the bowls and the pot of curry they had prepared earlier, and moved everything into the tent. She frowned as he climbed in after the food, wondering what was going on.

Suddenly Ranma's head poked out of the tent flat and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Are you gonna just stand there or are you gonna get in here?"

"Coming," Akane answered, shaking herself and crawling carefully inside.

She found Ranma fidgeting uncomfortably off to the side, nervously awaiting her reaction to their new sleeping arrangement. Akane surveyed the two bedrolls and their packs placed neatly at the other end of the tent and shrugged, smiling at her fiancé.

"Not bad," she said, settling cross-legged on her bedroll. "We've slept worse. At least they left us the tent."

Ranma snorted, smiling tightly back at her and handing over her share of dinner. They ate in silence while Akane studied him carefully, trying to understand what was going on with her pigtailed martial artist. Ranma placed his bowl on the floor, rubbing his stomach and fanning his mouth slightly.

"I think this curry was even spicier than the last one 'Kane. I like it though, spicy is good," Ranma hurried to reassure her.

Akane scoffed as she moved her bowl to the side and slid across the tent to cup Ranma's face between her palms, ducking to meet his eyes when he tried to avoid her. She was worried by the darkness that shadowed his eyes, and refused to let him wallow in it, particularly since they had this rare opportunity to spend a night alone without any interference.

"What's going on Ranma? You've been hiding something from me again. I thought we agreed you weren't going to do that anymore." She rubbed her thumb across Ranma's cheekbone as he tensed up.

"I-I just...why would you want to be stuck up here on a mountain with a freak of nature like me?" Ranma suddenly exploded, knocking her hands away and grasping his hair tightly in his fists.

"Whoa, what? Maybe we should take a walk or go spar or something, you seem like you need to blow off some steam." Akane's eyes were wide and worried as she reached out to pry Ranma's white knuckled fists from his hair.

"Oh, so you want to spend the rest of the night with a girl? Jeez Akane, you're the one always accusing me of being a pervert, but I think maybe you're the real pervert around here," he growled, shoulders hunching defensively against the expected reprisal from his harsh words.

The blue-haired young woman froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Wh...what? Is that what this is all about Ranma? You're worried about your curse? Where did this come from?"

"Oh, stop trying to play this down. You know you hate my curse and there ain't a lota hot water up here, especially during a rain storm," Ranma snapped, glowering at the floor between them. He folded his arms and slumped forward.

"Oh for...is this because of the Ryoga thing?" Akane demanded, snapping her fingers under his nose angrily. "I told you I don't blame you for that and I forgave you."

"But you hate Ryoga now because of his curse," Ranma yelled, grabbing her hand tightly and yanking her toward him.

Akane braced herself against his chest to keep from faceplanting into his shoulder and snarled back, "I'm angry at Ryoga because he used me. He dishonoured me and you, and on top of that, he lied about the whole thing. You're crazier than I thought you were if you believe that I would hate anyone for a curse they have no control over. That hurts Ranma; it really hurts that you have so little faith in me." She pulled against Ranma's grip, but he refused to let her go, pulling her closer instead and staring intently down into her face.

"You're the one who called me a sex-changing freak," the pigtailed martial artist mumbled, still searching her face.

"Give me a break dummy, that was a long time ago and I was angry that you had hidden the curse from me. Not to mention the fact that Nabiki tricked me into walking in on you once she knew you really were really a guy. It had nothing to do with hating you; it's just that I was weirded out by the whole thing." She huffed in annoyance and frowned up at him. "I love you Ranma, you know that. I don't know why you're doubting me like this, but it really hurts."

As Ranma opened his mouth to respond, thunder crashed and rain began to batter the tent, drowning out his words. He scowled up at the dome of the tent before turning back to his fiancée and tightening his arms around her as she began struggling. "So...you don't care about the curse?"

"You want to stick your head outside and change so I can prove it to you?" She shushed him impatiently as he began to sputter. "Don't go getting the wrong idea pervert. I'm not even remotely into girls, but you aren't a girl – you're Ranma. You keep forgetting that this is the only way I've ever known you. I didn't meet you until after you fell into the spring." Ranma blushed and avoided her eyes. "I'm not saying that I'm likely to jump you while you're a girl, but let's face facts Ranma, you can't always avoid cold water and I don't want that to stop you from being affectionate with me. I mean, it happens so rarely as it is."

"Hey now," Ranma protested, "I'm affectionate. It just ain't manly to be obvious about stuff like that."

Akane rolled her eyes as she punched his shoulder. "That is your dad talking...or maybe your mom. Sometimes I can't tell the difference with some of the stupid things you say." Ranma looked mildly offended, pulling away and crossing his arms sulkily over his chest. Akane grabbed his chin and looked him straight in the eyes. "Maybe your outside changes, but inside you're always the same smartass, jerky, foot-in-mouth, arrogant, sweet, incredibly thoughtful, chaotic guy I fell in love with and that never changes. Eep!" she squeaked suddenly as she found herself crushed to Ranma's broad chest, his strong arms tightening to the point of driving the breath from her lungs.

"'Kane, I-I...I love you so much," Ranma ground out, his voice rough. "I don't tell you enough and I'm sorry it's so hard for me to say it."

Akane giggled as she blinked away tears and burrowed deeper into her fiancé's warm arms, tenderly running her finger tips across the firm muscles over his heart. He stroked his fingers idly through her hair as the rain drummed down on the tent and the occasional rumble of thunder broke the monotonous sound.

"Hey, how come you got all the ability to talk to in this relationship?" Ranma asked suddenly. "It seems kinda unfair."

"Yeah well, someone has to make up for your spectacular ability to shove your foot in your mouth," Akane mumbled, feeling him shiver as her lips moved against the thin silk of his shirt.

"Hey now, show some respect. I'm the Great Ranma Saotome and I got mad skills in something that's way better then boring old words."

"And what's that Baka?"

"Action," Ranma growled, tipping her face up to his and covering her lips with his. He eased her back onto the bedroll with gentle hands.

Akane laughed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling his body tight to hers as he supported most of his weight on his forearms. Things got hot and heavy for a while as hands wandered and thunder crashed. Their panting breaths filled the small space in the tent as Ranma's lips trailed down Akane's throat and her _gi _top was pushed aside. Ranma's shirt began to slide off his shoulders as Akane's swift fingers loosened the clasps to access firm skin stretched taut over tensed muscles. They teased each other until they knew that they were nearing the edge of no return. Akane finally broke away, reluctantly freeing herself from Ranma's grasp with many lingering kisses and caresses.

"I _really_ cannot wait until we're done school," Ranma muttered, scrubbing his hands over his face.

Akane looked at him assessingly, judging just how in control he was. After a long moment she yanked the bedroll out from under him and began zipping their separate rolls into a single large one.

Ranma quirked an eyebrow at her before snorting, "You got a lot of faith in my current level of control Tomboy."

"It's called self-restraint Baka, look it up." Akane growled when Ranma cheekily stroked a hand along the curve of her butt as she leaned over to straighten the bedroll. "Turn around, will you? I need to change." Akane waited until Ranma turned around and covered his eyes with his hands, a long suffering, if lascivious look on his face. She began to squirm quickly out of her clothes and into her pyjamas. "You know that you still have a lot of extra fiancée issues to clear up before we can actually set a date." She turned to face him and found that he'd been watching her over his shoulder the whole time.

He grunted when Akane smacked him, but waggled his eyebrows at her unrepentantly. She crawled into the bedroll and stared pointedly at him. He smirked and began to strip off his pants and shirt until he was left only in his boxers. His smirk grew wider as a blush dusted across Akane's nose and cheeks and heat grew in her eyes again until she looked down at her anxiously twisting fingers. He slid in beside her, resting his head on his pillow and opening his arms to invite her closer. The young woman hesitated, testing her resolve before curling up against the pigtailed martial artist and snugging her head into the hollow of his shoulder. As his arms closed comfortably around her, Akane sighed happily and cuddled even closer.

"You're really not going to help me deal with the other girls?" Ranma huffed abruptly.

"What do you want me to do? You still won't let me near Shampoo on my own and Ukyo and Kodachi have been keeping their distance lately. Obviously we'll figure out what to do the day of the wedding together when we finally set the date, because I can pretty much guarantee that your girls will be coming out of the woodwork that day."

"Oi, you can't put all that stuff on me Tomboy. You've got your fair share of guys chasing you around, despite my best efforts," Ranma snorted blackly.

"Hmm, well, agree to disagree," Akane replied flippantly, tapping a finger on his chest.

"What? That's ridiculous. You can't deny how many guys I've fought off to keep you at my side," Ranma barked angrily, his arms unconsciously tightening around her as the stream of princes and martial artists and idiots trying to steal her away paraded past his mind's eye.

"Kuno doesn't count. Either one of us could take him with one hand tied behind our backs."

"Okay, I'm not having this argument with you since you are clearly being dense and stubborn on purpose." Ranma's expression settled into a pout. Akane glanced up at him through her lashes and chuckled ruefully.

"Sorry Baka, I know that those guys have caused you a lot of problems, but you've got to know that they never meant anything to me, not when I have you."

Ranma stared down at her for a long moment. "How come this conversation keeps getting so mushy?" Ranma demanded, hugging her close despite the edge in his words.

"Maybe because you're so immature and insecure?" Akane snarked, rapping her knuckles against his abs hard enough that he coughed.

"Gah! You are so uncute," Ranma cried, his eyes sparkling as his fingers started to dance across her ticklish spots.

The tickle attack continued for several minutes, with Akane laughing and begging him to stop as she flailed around, trying to get through his defences to retaliate.

"I gotta stop letting you drag me into these serious conversations. People are gonna get the wrong idea about me," Ranma muttered as they settled in to sleep.

"What? That you're actually not as dumb as you look?" Akane teased.

"Feh. That's given me an edge more times than I can count, so I'd like to keep that edge for as long as possible."

Akane snorted and snuggled closer to Ranma's warmth, succumbing to the coziness of the tent and the rare comfort of having Ranma so close as she fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I am soooooo sorry! *bows repeatedly* Real Life has been getting in the way of my writing - the nerve, right? I am going to try my hardest to get the next chapter out soon...I'm doing all my own pre-reading, so it takes me a bit longer.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, your words are inspiring! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it - virtual chocolate chip cookies to all of you!

Tomboy


End file.
